Fort Carson career summit helps bridge gap

Fort Carson partnered with Hiring Our Heroes to host a two-day career summit across the Pikes Peak region to support the military community. FORT CARSON, Colo. — Stepping out of uniform and into a civilian job can be an intimidating journey. For service members, veterans and their Families, figuring out how military skills fit into the civilian job market takes preparation, practice and the right contacts. To help make that change easier, Fort Carson partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s program Hiring Our Heroes (HOH). Together, they hosted a two-day career summit across the Pikes Peak region, bringing job seekers and business leaders together to turn military experience into civilian careers.

The summit kicked off Sept. 16, 2026, with a workshop for military spouses at the Penrose House in Colorado Springs. Military spouses face unique hurdles because frequent moves often force them to leave steady jobs and start over in new communities. Career coaches showed spouses how to update their resumes, grow their online networks and highlight their adaptability as a top strength. According to Melissa Sanderson, the executive director of the Military Spouse Program for Hiring Our Heroes, helping the military community members see and articulate their value in the workforce is the organization’s purpose. The summit also featured a networking reception on Peterson Space Force Base